A good signing day for kickers in the Peninsula District

Dave Johnson, djohnson@dailypress.com | 757-247-4649

Time was when kickers weren't offered college scholarships right out of high school. There were exceptions here and there. But for the most part, they were brought in as walk-ons and given a chance to earn one down the line.

Times evolve, and college coaches have come to emphasize special teams. But while it's no longer unheard of, it's still rare.

Which makes what will happen Wednesday at Phoebus and Woodside all the more noteworthy.

For the first time since 2000, two kickers will sign scholarships with Division I schools. The Phantoms' Eric Enderson is headed to Delaware, to which he committed last summer. And the Wolverines' Chris Moller will be attending Morgan State, whose offer he accepted 12 days ago.

The common denominator? Dick Van Dyke, the Phantoms' special teams coach, who tutors kickers from all over the state.

"It's really awesome," said Van Dyke, who runs a kicking camp as well as informal workouts. "And actually, I have three — (Goochland's) Colby Cooke is going to Vanderbilt. It is rare for kickers to get them, and it's awesome to see this.

"We don't get paid enough to think of ourselves as professional coaches, but (signing day) is my payday. I've been working with these kids for so long, and it'll be awesome to see them sign on the dotted line. That's what my job is all about."

The Peninsula and Bay Rivers districts have had their share of kickers excel in college. Hampton High grads Kenny Stadlin and Michael Husted, Kecoughtan's David Greene and Lafayette's Connor Hughes all had prolific careers at Virginia. But none of them went to Charlottesville with a scholarship — they were recruited walk-ons who had to earn it.

Ditto Grafton's Jarod Brown, who originally went to West Virginia as a "preferred walk-on." He's now at Old Dominion, where he was the Monarchs' starter last season.

In 2000, Hampton's Bryan Smith and Phoebus' Paul Pavlik both earned scholarships out of high school -- Smith with Virginia, Pavlik with Hampton. Eight years later, Warwick's Matt Bevins signed with Liberty, where he became a two-time All-American and the Flames' career leader in field goals and points.

Enderson went into his senior year having already committed to the Blue Hens, but Moller had to audition for it. He passed with a senior year that included a PD-record 13 field goals. Morgan State offered at the 11th hour, and Moller accepted.

Nobody was happier for him than Enderson.

"He texted me on way up for his visit," Enderson said. "He said the coached seemed interested but he wasn't sure. On the way home, I got a text from him with bold letters that he had gotten an offer — and a lot of exclamation points. He deserves it.

"There's definitely a bond with all of us. We're like brothers."

And making history together is special.

"I was so glad for (Enderson) when got that full scholarship, but I never thought I would," he said. "It's pretty amazing the two of us got full scholarships."

Next year, Menchville's Dillon Christopher likely will make it three kickers in two years. A lefty who didn't begin kicking until his sophomore year, Christopher made seven field goals last season. One was a VHSL-record 60-yarder. He also made a 50-yarder and was just wide on a 53-yard attempt.

How much confidence does Monarchs coach Melvin Moore have in this kid's leg? Against Bethel, he brought Christopher out for a 68-yard attempt. Christopher's kick, which would have matched the national record, landed in the back line of the end zone.

"If we get past the 50, if the conditions are good, we'll put him out there," Moore said. "He's the best kicker in the state."

Christopher has no offers yet, but Virginia Tech and Wisconsin are showing the most interest. He said Hokie assistant Curt Newsome has been by to see him three times, and head coach Frank Beamer paid a visit last Tuesday.

Kickers do matter. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens.

"Kickers can be a big part of the game," Christopher said. "They can win a game or lose a game for you. Chris Moller and Eric, they got scholarships because they're reliable and they've won games."